The Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and the park's citizen support organization will be dedicating and opening a new historical exhibit Friday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the park's Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 19. The exhibit features a working model of the Mullet train in a setting depicting Homosassa in 1920. The project was funding through contributions to the James Porcello memorial fund. James Porcello was a lifetime member of the park's citizen support organization and served as the Friends' president from 1995 to 1996. The project has cost to date approximately $2,000.
Volunteers Russell Dorsey, Arthur Eberhard, Hugh McLeish and Robert Payne and Susan Dougherty, park information specialist spent 500 hours researching, designing and fabricating the exhibit. A soundtrack will tell the story of the Mullet train which ran into Homosassa from the 1880's through the 1930's. The group interviewed Elta Whilton on several occasions to research the train's history in the area. Mrs. Whilton is the widow of Wade Whilton who was the Mullet train's conductor from 1914 until the train stopped running in the 1930's. Rev. James Hoge was also consulted as a local historian. Working from old photographs and verbal and written recollections of area residents Dorsey, Eberhard, McLeish and Payne constructed replicas of the railroad station, whistle stop, bath house, turntable, moss factory and water tank and the Mullet train itself. The Mullet train was part of the Atlantic Coast Line and the Engine Number 501 carried passengers, freight included fish packed in barrels of ice and timber logs.
The new Mullet train historical exhibit is located in the Visitors Center of Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and should give visitors and residents a glimpse of this area's cultural heritage. |
